Renewal Zeist town hall
Renewal Zeist town hall
Renewal Zeist town hall
The new way of working in an existing building and new building
Urban plan and new construction by RAU
The strength of RAU's design for the new building section lies in its restraint. The design respects the character and scale of the existing historic structures. Due to its neutral, restrained design, the new building deliberately takes a back seat and thus forms a subtle backdrop for the monumental town hall. The 1908 church and town hall are confirmed as benchmarks in the urban setting.
Two important sight lines (between the 1st Dorpsstraat and Walkart Park and the line between Het Rond and the church) are being restored to the design. A glass entrance hall has been created between the new building and the existing buildings, which functions as a hub in merging the four generations of building parts. The openness of the entrance hall reflects the public function of the town hall. Due to the transparency of the façade and roof, the existing buildings maintain optimal daylight.
Interior, furnishing and renovation of atelier PRO
Atelier PRO was responsible for the renovation and renovation of the existing buildings and the layout of the entire town hall. The aim of interior design is to create a home for both residents and employees. Because the building consists of four parts, each with its own atmosphere, its own floor heights and its own directions, the challenge lay in “connecting without losing identity”. The service task at the new location is geared to the future with the vision “The municipality has an answer”.
There is one counter for citizens. The public hall, in the new extension, is filled with a variety of public functions where meetings between the municipality and residents are centrally accommodated in various ways through counters, waiting and meeting areas, meeting rooms and a reading room. The basic colors are calm; white walls, floors in natural tones. Color was used to structure the spaces and increase findability and identity. The seniority of the historic buildings is reflected in the finish and recall the men's rooms with dark panelling, colored walls and wallpapers with stylized natural prints.
Sustainability
The realization of a sustainable building was one of the most important requirements of the municipality. That is partly why RAU and atelier PRO were selected. Sustainability has been a driver in the choice of technology, materials and loose furniture: energy-efficient techniques, the use of thermal storage for cooling and heating, natural materials, bamboo, on spot work lighting, c2c carpeting, wallpaper on recycled paper are some of the effects of the sustainable materials.
The most striking thing is the reuse of the frames demolished from the Lengkeek building in paneling and cabinet walls. For atelier PRO, reusing the existing buildings was a given and a matter of course. The existing, recycled parts of the town hall have been provided with new, additional shell insulation. The existing glass has been replaced by HR++ glass; secondary windows have been used in the monumental facades. The roof of the Lengkeek building has been newly insulated and finished with plant-based, white roofing membranes that are beneficial to the environment and reduce the heat load. The existing town hall had an energy label G before the start of work. The new town hall has been relabelled and is now rated with energy label A.
.jpg)
